A New Era of Green Thrift

Economy Sagging, Credit Drying Up. Go Green

By Dan Shapley

A front-page story in the New York Times today declared the end of an era, or at least an interruption in the free-for-all that has characterized American consumer spending for decades.

"The freewheeling days of credit and risk may have run their course — at least for a while and perhaps much longer — as a period of involuntary thrift unfolds in many households," Peter S. Goodman writes. "With the number of jobs shrinking, housing prices falling and debt levels swelling, the same nation that pioneered the no-money-down mortgage suddenly confronts an unfamiliar imperative: more Americans must live within their means."

The Daily Green has a reminder: Going green is thrifty.

You pay for energy, so saving it saves money. Unplug that cell-phone charger, and you don't pay for the electricity needlessly leaking. That means less coal burned at the local power plant, less mining and less pollution. Opt for a carpool and you cut your gas costs by half or more. That means less oil pumped, refined and burned.

The Daily Green has daily tips to help you go green – most of which can save you money. To start, check out these 5 Green Money $avers.